Autopsy reveals Wisconsin grad school student’s cause of death after she disappeared walking home from bar

Officials person announced a origin of decease for Wisconsin postgraduate pupil Eliotte Heinz, whose assemblage was recovered floating look down successful the Mississippi River days aft she vanished during a locomotion location from a barroom successful July.

The La Crosse County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Heinz’s origin of decease arsenic drowning and her mode of decease arsenic an accident, according to a caller autopsy study obtained by Fox News Digital connected Thursday morning.

The 22-year-old Viterbo University pupil vanished astir 2:30 a.m. connected July 20 portion walking location from Broncos Bar successful La Crosse, Wisconsin, aft a nighttime retired with friends.

Her assemblage was recovered 3 days later, conscionable earlier 10:30 a.m. connected July 23, by a fisherman successful the stream adjacent Brownsville, Minnesota — much than a twelve miles from wherever she was past seen, authorities said.

FISHERMAN FOUND WISCONSIN GRAD STUDENT FACE DOWN MISSISSIPPI RIVER DAYS AFTER MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

Eliotte Heinz, 22, vanished aft past being spotted connected a precocious nighttime locomotion successful La Crosse, Wisconsin, connected July 20, 2025. (Eliotte Heinz, 22, vanished aft past being spotted connected a precocious nighttime locomotion successful La Crosse, Wisconsin, connected July 20, 2025.)

There was "no gross grounds of trauma," according to the autopsy report, which noted that determination were nary indications of foul play, carnal battle oregon inflicted harm.

Authorities were desperately searching for missing grad pupil Eliotte Heinz, 22, who was past seen aboriginal connected July 20, 2025. Her assemblage was recovered successful the Mississippi River connected July 23, 2025. (Photos courtesy of Amber Heinz)

Toxicology tests showed Heinz had nary drugs successful her system, though she tested affirmative for alcohol. She had 193 mg/dL of ethanol successful her system, according to the report, which is astir a 0.19% Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).

According to wellness experts, a BAC of 0.19% is associated with terrible impairment to gross centrifugal skills, speech, imaginativeness and reasoning. For comparison, the modular ineligible bounds for driving is 0.08%.

Heinz was past seen walking on the Mississippi River waterfront astatine astir 3:30 a.m. and aboriginal spotted connected surveillance footage heading toward her apartment, which was little than a mile away.

The proprietor of a marina barroom adjacent the determination wherever Heinz's assemblage was spotted told Fox News Digital successful July that the young fisherman recovered the assemblage look down and wrapped successful duckweed. The assemblage could beryllium seen from the shore.

WISCONSIN STUDENT ELIOTTE HEINZ'S MISSISSIPPI RIVER DEATH REIGNITES SAFETY CONCERNS IN COLLEGE TOWN

Jonathan Strike, who lived successful Heinz's flat building, told Fox News astatine the clip that Heinz had lone moved successful a fewer months ago, but her kindness radiated successful the community.

"Very sweet, quiescent girl," Strike said. "[She] ever said ‘Hi’ each clip she walked by. Ever since she moved in, [she] ever made an effort to beryllium arsenic affable arsenic she tin be, adjacent with my canine jumping each implicit everybody. It's conscionable heartbreaking."

Heinz's household released a connection to Fox News Digital successful July remembering the 22-year-old arsenic a "beautiful person."

Eliotte Heinz, 22, was a gradudate pupil astatine Viterbo University successful Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Amber Heinz)

"She was smart, funny, caring, and loved fiercely by us. We don't cognize wherefore we were truthful blessed to person her arsenic a daughter, oregon wherefore we are incapable to support her," it read, successful part. "She is astonishing and would person continued to amaze us. We are devastated that she is nary longer with us. Our household volition everlastingly person a missing piece."

"Eliotte's walk location is finished. Unfortunately, our family's walk down this caller hard way is conscionable beginning. We emotion you Eliotte," the connection concluded.

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The University of Wisconsin River Watch, a programme started successful 2006 to forestall alcohol-related accidental drownings, reported that 8 assemblage students drowned successful the Mississippi River arsenic a effect of excessive drinking betwixt 1997 and 2006.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch, Stepheny Price and Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.